Because the distribution facilities at Macmillan recycle a great deal of books and boxes, ensuring that this process is efficient is one of our priorities. Here’s how it works.

First, boxes filled with books arrive at our distribution facilities from the binderies. They also arrive at our returns facilities from customers. As the boxes of either recently printed books or returns are emptied, the corrugate is broken down, bundled, and shipped to be recycled.

For books, a business decision is made regarding returns to either return them to inventory, recycle them, or sell as damaged books. Books that are recycled are chopped, baled and shipped in full trailers to be pulped and recycled.

We handle such a large amount of paper and corrugate that it’s important to be efficient throughout the entire process. Such efficiency is an important part of sustainability. Thanks to the personnel in our distribution facilities, approximately 98 percent of corrugate coming into our distribution and returns facilities is now recycled. We’re proud of our staff and the teams at these centers for their commitment to recycling and sustainability.